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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Dark Romance is the theme for Integrity Toys 2010 convention this year. It will be held in Pittsburgh, PA at the Hyatt Regency Airport Hotel from October 28-30, and registration is open now. There are only 350 spots available, so if you want to attend, visit Integrity's website and download the registration packet.

Registration is $350 per person, and the hotel costs $135 per night per room--plus the hotel is right at the airport, so no additional transportation is needed.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

I have to admit, I've been more than a little convicted, after reading the thoughtful posts from Valerie and Milady Blue over the past weeks on defining their doll collections and the amount of thought, effort and planning that goes into doll purchases.

I will take this post to confess that I am a doll-shop-a-holic. I have been known to grab a [sometimes expensive] doll without thinking, planning or budgeting, solely based on a promotional photo or price, only to enjoy her for a few months, and often with the intent on passing her on to the next collector.

You know those limited edition dolls manufacturers release, with expensive outfits or over-the-top hair styles; outrageous costumes that are hard to find and are only available for a limited time? You find yourself wondering, "What kind of collector would waste her money on that over-priced junk?"

I had an epiphany of sorts the other day while sorting and organizing for IFDC. The thought that came to my mind was, “Why did I start collecting dolls in the first place?” Well, the answer to that was easy--assemble the Barbie collection I had as a child. So now I have managed to define a small aspect of my current collection, and this definition is two-fold.

Identify what to keep of my current vintage Barbie collection and

Deciding what to add to the collection in the future.

As for the first part of the definition, I will part with most of my vintage Barbie collection that does not relate back to what I had as a child.

Monday, June 28, 2010

I’d like to finish up the series on post war designers with probably the most well-known and well-regarded of the big three postwar designers, Christian Dior. Christian was born in 1905 in the town of Grenville on the French coast. His family made their fortune from the manufacture of fertilizer, which allowed a young Dior to live a rather charmed life. After graduating from school and serving his required military duty, Dior received money from his family which he used to open a small art gallery where he sold art from such artists as Picasso.

In 1931 Dior's mother and brother died, and his family lost the family business. Dior was forced to sell his art gallery and began selling his dress designs to fashion houses.

In 1938 Robert Piguet opened a fashion house, and Dior took his first job as a designer there. Once the war started, he left Piguet and joined the military. In 1941 after completing military service, he returned to Paris and took a job as a designer at Lucien Lelong. At Lelong, Dior worked as a primary designer with Pierre Balmain.

Guest blogger Milady Blue begins a new post series on her "years of yore": what young doll collectors once had to do in order to bring a new doll home into his or her own collection. How she may have discovered a new doll or new manufacturer, and the actual process of shopping for, and the decision to buy the doll are covered here.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Pullip Style announced today that they are accepting pre-orders for the SDCC Exclusive Vampire Byul Lilith. She is a limited edition of 200 pieces and is the final doll in the Vampire series. The retail price for this doll is $100. Byul will ship after Comic Con at the end of July. Currently, Pullip Style can only accept orders from Australia, North America, and South America for this doll.

She will also be available for immediate purchase at the Jun Planning USA booth, #4049, at San Diego Comic Con. SDCC is being held at the San Diego Convention Center from July 22 to July 25, 2010, with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 21st.

Visit Pullip Style to place your pre-order. Limit two dolls per customer.

It’s less than two weeks until IFDC. I am so looking forward to attending, being with old friends and making new. I’m so happy that the convention is now held in Las Vegas every year. It’s a little over a four hour drive for me which makes toting the bins and bins of dolly items I’m selling so much easier. Plus I’ll have some other convention related items to take with me.

In addition to getting my dolls ready for sale, I’m also working on table gifts, table decorations, and costumes for the convention. At the end of last year’s convention a friend of mine suggested we co-host a table at this year’s convention. Lucky for me my friend is a very creative and talented individual. I am really excited to see how each meal event’s table display turns out.

RSVP by July 11 if you'd like to attend the National Barbie Doll Collector's Convention this here in Cleveland, July 11-24. If you're a Barbie Fan Club member, you'll get an exclusive gift bag and VIP access to a members' only event, if you join by July 11.

BFC members also receive up to $60 in rewards, Club exclusive dolls, including the new Holiday Hostess doll, opportunity to purchase other dolls, like Mad Men Roger Sterling while supplies last, sneak peeks, chats, and more.

From now through June 30, use the promo code ELA at checkout when you order $75 or more, and you'll receive free shipping on your domestic order from Wilde Imagination. International orders, use the code ELB and receive a $9.95 shipping credit on your order of $75 or more.

Doll shown here is the lovely Alone on Sunday Elloywne, a new addition to the 2010 line.

New End of Edition specials have been added to the Ellowyne Wilde section. Check them out!

I was so inspired by JennyGrey's first post on sewing that I was tempted to uncover and clean my sewing machine (usually used for quilting) and attempt a new project. This dress is a no-pattern, easy-to-do beginner's level. Give it a try, and let me know your results!

My model is Peak's Woods (about SD-sized, 58 cm or about 23") BJD Yeru, but you could use any size simply by changing the length and width of the fabric tube. Read through the instructions first. Yeru is close to the size of a Tonner American Model, by the way.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

I'm always on the lookout and purchasing outfits by wonderful designers on Etsy and Artfire and I've recently discovered a new one that I love, so I thought I'd share his designs here.

V.Jhon is the designer and I purchased three outfits from his recent "Drama" Collection. V.Jhon creates some really unique and interesting designs and covers the gamut from haute couture to simple everyday dresses. Plus he includes great accessories like hats and bags with his fashions and I love how much care he puts into the packaging of his items. I'm excited to see what this new up and coming doll fashion designer has in store!

I have to chime in here to Milady Blues and Alison's musings about this subject. Do toys have feelings? Movies like Toy Story certainly want us to believe that they do and I think most children accept that, without ever really thinking about it.

I'm not a Blythe expert, but I did happen across an adorable new release Neo Blythe called Nicky Lad, available for pre-order now from Doll-Collectible in Japan. (If any of my readers have another source for Blythe, and you post the link in the comments below, I'd be forever grateful!)

Nicky Lad is scheduled to be released July 1, 2010, and she retails for $149 USD (13,440 yen). She has the radiance face type, natural face type, yellow brown eye shadow, coral pink blush and lips, blue eyes (right), sky blue (center, special color), green (left), pink (center), her hair is short and golden brown.

The set includes the doll, polo shirt, pants, rain coat, glasses, socks, boots, underwear and stand.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Ooops, I've done it again. I've generated not just a comment, but an entire blog post in response to my Rapunzel saga. And no, Milady Blue, you did not hurt my feelings--I'm just another type of doll collector, but I do sincerely appreciate your response.

I was one of the foolish Tonner collectors, in love with the Breathless sculpt who fell in love with the idea of the super-long-haired brunette version, who rushed to purchase the Rapunzel exclusive from FAO back in 2008. I paid full price, and was so thrilled when the box came.

However, when I opened her, I have to admit my disappointment. While her gown was beautiful, her face lacked a certain zing I had been expecting. Her lips were orange... and that hair! Gel worked at first, but within a day or two, it would be sticking up again. What to do?

Check it out--it's finally been revamped. You can shop for and view Madame Alexander dolls by collection, playline, baby dolls, or even by size/age. Very easy to navigate, and nice to look at, I have to admit!

And you can celebrate your birthday at Madame Alexander's in New York City. Prices range from $38 to $100 per person, and include a tour of the factory, a stop at the doll hospital, a chance to meet the design team, a tour of the Madame Alexander Heritage Gallery, a mini workshop (actually designed for kids), and an exclusive shopping opportunity. All guests will receive a special gift bag and/or doll. (Sounds like fun!)

Photo property of Madame Alexander. Doll shown is Bon Bon Neo Cissy, designed by Jason Wu. LE 200 available for pre-order for September delivery. $159.95 retail.

This doll (Barbie Basic #10) was all over the news (well, in Minnesota), and all over Twitter last month. I was thinking, Come on, people. It's a doll. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

Recently, I was at Toys R Us. I saw (and just had to buy) both of these dolls displayed on the shelf. My question to you, dear readers: Is this a "production variation" or has Mattel caved to the pressure? ;)

Finally, Tonner Doll presents the promo photos for Tarrant, the Mad Hatter from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland on its website. I'm giving you a sneak preview here, but for full-size shots, and ten of them, if you can believe it, visit Tonner's website.

He is the likeness of Johnny Depp, who portrayed the character in the film, and he's a special pale skin tone with very creepy face-paint. His outfit is really detailed, actually. He retails for $224.99.

A little note here: Personally, I'd like these kind of promo shots featured on all dolls. I love seeing this kind of detail. Even if I wouldn't buy the doll normally, I might buy this one, just because of the detail on his boot or coat, thinking it would be fabulous for one of my BJDs. If Tonner did this all the time--wow!

Please give a warm welcome to our newest writer (and Tonner/Wilde Imagination nut), CAM. I can't wait to hear more about this world, as well as collecting dolls on a budget from her. You'll be able to hear it like it is from CAM. I can't wait for her first piece!

Also--just a bit of skills I personally would like to learn from her--the dolls she has at meets, even ones who have travelled 30-45 minutes in a car--have perfect hair. I just need to know how this happens. Does she have a hair fairy living in her purse, or what??

Sunday, June 20, 2010

My name is Carolyn Mitrovich and I am a doll collector. (Really?! And why else would I be on this Blog!) I have loved dolls since I was a little girl, with my first love being, of course, Barbie. I received my last doll for Christmas when I was 12; a Francie doll that I still have. Not too long after that I very reluctantly gave up my dolls due to peer pressure.

As an adult, I would always wander into toys stores to check out the Madame Alexander and Barbie dolls, and once a year would buy the MA catalog and spend hours looking through it. I even remember going into an FAO and seeing Gene for the first time. I thought she was beautiful, but being only familiar with Barbie size dolls, I remember thinking she was HUGE!

My son bought me a MA Tinkerbell for Christmas one year and then I had to have Captain Hook to go along with her! I held off for several more years, but started going to doll shows, just "to look". I saw a Tyler doll and, like Gene, thought she was beautiful but too big. However, I finally took the plunge and bought a nude Modern Mosaic Sydney on Ebay. Then before she arrived, after doing some research, I went to a local doll shop in Carlsbad to buy her some clothes, as I nether sew nor am a big fan of dolls sitting around naked. The lovely lady there (dear Kathleen) told me about a local doll club. Well I went, and it was off to the races!

Several years later, I have a nice, but small, collection of FR dolls, Dynamite Girls, a few Momokos, several vintage Barbies that have joined my childhood dolls, a very few Silkstones & Genes and several MA "8 inch storybook dolls that, alas, mostly stay in their boxes. But, by far, the most dolls I own are Tonners and his Wilde Imagination line.

I love, love, LOVE my Tonner & WI girls! For the most part my collection leans towards the costumed and storybook/fantasy dolls. My girls that always stay on display (I live in a 2 bedroom apartment, so there is not a lot of room) are my Alice in Wonderland themed dolls, my Oz girls, Charmed Tyler & her coven (which includes Wicked, Kit dressed in Dark Embrace Sydney's outfit, Agnes & Viktor Dreary), the Re-imagination line, Twilight dolls, all my Ellowynes and Evangeline Ghastly.

For my Fashion dolls I have a rule that I, mostly, stick to; only one sculpt of each face. However, I love Tyler's sweetness and so have quite a few of her and, of course, she needs her best friend Sydney to keep her company!

I only see my collection growing as Robert just keeps coming up with more and more beautiful dolls. I am especially excited about the new Lord of the Rings line, as it is my #1 favorite movie of all time!

As for the personal stuff; I am a single mom, with a wonderful son Matthew, who is a Senior at UCSB (although he is currently spending the summer in Boston as an intern for the Red Sox). I live in Point Loma, work for a non-profit in the South Bay, and majored in Ceramic Sculpture in College. I also collect Art and early to mid 20th Century pottery, go to Comic-Con every summer, Disneyland for my birthday and never, ever go anywhere without a book!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Trico's new Summer 2010 "Candy Girl" collection is now available on BIC's website HERE. I have personally purchased quite a few items from Trico's past collections and I must say that the quality of the items is really wonderful. For those of you unfamiliar with the Trico line, it is designed by LoveSound who collaborated with Jason Wu in the Wild Wolf Kumi and Yuri dolls. Most recently he designed the outfits and collaborated again with Integrity Toys in the Lady Like Misaki and Amelie dolls.

I’d like to continue the series on designers by talking about the second of the top three post war designer Pierre Balmain. Balmain also claimed that he had inspired Dior's New Look. Certainly, like Jacques Fath, his work featured narrow waists and wide bell shaped skirts and narrow shoulders. As contemporaries, it is only natural that these three men would have inspired each other's work, and it appears that Dior just happened to release his look at exactly the right time to claim the prize of the New Look.

Send in the original cash register receipt with the items circled. It must be dated.

Maximum rebate check for the wig is $6.50.

Check out the website for the complete terms and conditions. Visit the website for more info on these dolls--they actually have a pretty fun wardrobe, and my daughter Kate, who is nine, really loves them.

Eventually, there will be a Dollmore girl I won't be able to resist. I wonder... will it be Ramie? A new size, only 20.5" (52 cm), she's a perfect younger sister BJD. I think she is lovely. Starting at $422, she's available for pre-order now.

A face-up (either default as shown or custom) will run an extra $55, body blushing is an additional $55, and sanding is an additional $65. As with all Dollmore BJDs, you may request specific color eyes and wigs, and they try their best to accommodate you.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Well, tonight I'm sharing with you the newest Mattel line of playline dolls called "Monster High". The dolls are all teenage children of famous monsters. The tagline is that they are "Wild, Fierce and Freaky Fabulous". It has just recently been reported that there will be a Monster High musical film at some point in the future as well as a line of novels that will be available in the fall.

Well, I succumbed to the cuteness and monstrousness of these darn dolls. For those who know me, I have NEVER been into any playline dolls so this is a big change in my doll collecting. So I'm here to do a little review about these cute dolls.

Here is the updated shipping schedule from Integrity Toys. They informed us that they delayed the factory production to ensure the quality of the dolls. I know that in China right now the humidity is really high, so I believe they are trying to avoid the mold problems we were seeing earlier this year. I for one am glad to see them spread out a little because my wallet is about tapped out!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Planning on ordering anything from Tonner? Now is the time to do it as Tonner has a free shipping offer, but better hurry. The offer ends Monday at midnight.

ORDERS OVER $75 RECEIVE FREE SHIPPING!

Use promo code DAD10 at checkout. Customers outside of the domestic US, use promo code DAD for a $9.95 shipping credit. Offer expires 6/21/2010 at midnight EST. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Valid on new orders of in-stock items only.

The lovely Sky, dressed and styled by JennyGrey, shows off her versatility. After the end of June, these beautiful Asian BJDs will only be available through the company directly (and currently, this means no lay-away options), so if there is a doll you love, order her now! I can highly recommend Denver Doll or Boutique Doll for their lay-away plans and their customer service.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Dressmaker Details has just received their “mini collection” for Fashion Royalty and Barbie sized dolls (12"). This is a taste of what’s to come and a little sneak peek at what they'll have available at the upcoming Barbie Convention July 21-24. These fashions are part of the "Pink Label" line, which means most items range from $25-45, a nice break for our wallets, right! You can order through their website HERE.

The International Fashion Doll Convention (IFDC) is less than a month away. It’s running from July 7-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The wonderful part of doll conventions is that they usually have a time and place for sales tables and, for a fee, the attendees can have a table devoted to their dolly wares. I am currently sorting through my doll collection trying to determine which items I can part with.

Tonner Dolls are wiggling their way back into my collection. Of course, I couldn't let a reception called "Let Them Eat Cake" pass me by without consequences. When I saw a raven Sydney in a reimagined Rococo gown, I couldn't help myself.

I participated in a group purchase of all three centerpiece dolls (more to keep my budget in check rather than to narrow my purchases), and decided on Citron. I have very little yellow in my collection, and she'd be the perfect addition to my historical dolls [see the article on themes].

All four event dolls together look sexy and sweet; but to me, Sydney's haughty face makes her look the most promiscuous.

Sewing anything, from a pillow case to a ball gown, can seem intimidating. When your dolls need a new look, why not keep the money in your doll savings account for the next beautiful body on your wish list? Sew a brand new outfit for that vinyl beauty on your shelf and you’ll feel like the UPS truck already delivered a brand new one! There are many reasons to embark on the adventure of stitching up a great new outfit!

This article is dedicated to CaliVali, to help her endeavor in defining her doll collection.

How do you deal with organizing your collection and your ever-growing wish list of dolls? I've developed the Theme Method.

Themes organize your dolls and narrow your collection. Themes can help you shop for items that fit your collection, and help justify those purchases more easily. For example, “This doll will fit in perfectly with my Alice in Wonderland collection. I need her."

Some of you may already be familiar with jennygrey, form the Couture Doll Design Competition, or from her Etsy store. I am thrilled to introduce her as a regular staff writer. Please check out her About Me page to learn about her background.

Her job at the Fashion Doll Review will be to produce a weekly-ish column geared towards those of you interested in sewing and crafting for your doll. Even if you aren't already sewing for your doll, her articles are designed for you! In fact, a sneak peek at her first article which will be published later today: "So you think you can't sew?"

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Well, Iplehouse has been hinting to its customers that a dark skinned JID girl with African features was coming and today a sneak peek was posted on their site HERE. No official pricing or selling period has been posted, but when that information becomes available I will update you.

The Iplehouse JID line of dolls are MSD sized (45cm or about 16") but they are not "slim" MSD's. This line is much curvier through the hips and thighs than other BJD lines. I currently have 2 from that line and have noticed that most MSD sized clothing will not fit them unless it's stretchy, although I have found that all the Best Friends Club, Inc. doll clothing does fit them really well.

I'm delighted to introduce our third staff writer to you today, CaliVali. She's another doll collector I met at our local (San Diego) doll club, and I think you'll love both her eclectic writing style and collection.

Please give her a warm welcome, visit her About Me page, and congratulate her on her upcoming (I know it's coming soon) purchase of her first SD-sized ball-jointed doll, an Elfdoll Mir. He is simply stalking her.

In response to the recent Cats & Dolls post by guest blogger MiLady Blue, I heard from Susan in NC, one of our regular readers. She send us this lovely photo (click to enlarge) of a doll from her collection, and permission to post it here.

This is a great photo of Susan's Elfdoll Catsy, dressed as Alice. She's just adorable. Additionally, Susan sent us the following comments:

I'm pleased to introduce to you to our first guest blogger, Milady Blue. More than any other doll collector I know, she is probably the premier expert on collecting both dolls and cats. And when I say this, it really means a lot--since I also have a tendency to collect both.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

I’d like to start off my series on fashion designers with a man who may not be all that well know, but had a short and brilliant career during and after WWII. Jacques Fath was one of the three dominant male influences on haute couture fashion during the post war years, along with Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain. These men stood poised and ready to take the lead from the pre-war triumvirate of female designers Chanel and Schiaparelli and Vionnet after the war.

Jacques Fath was born September 6, 1912 in Maisons-Laffitte, France. His father was Flemish/Alsation and his mother British. Jacques's great-grandmother had been a courtier to the Empress Eugenie in Victorian times.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Leftover Dressmaker Details Gene Convention fashions are now available on their website HERE. These fashions are for 16" fashion dolls and will also fit AvantGuards and Antoinette dolls too, so if you're looking for some clothes for your bigger gals then take a peek! Plus the Trent fashions will work on Tonner male dolls too.

Tonner Doll has announced its 2010 Summer Blockbuster Movie release, which includes mostly dolls based on the likenesses of actors from popular films, in addition to a few new items added to the Miss Piggy™ and Cami & Jon™ lines.

The items are available from TonnerDirect or from your favorite dealer (I highly recommend Dreamcastle Dolls) for pre-order now, with some items scheduled to ship as soon as August.

I'm pleased to introduce you to Jiminycub, Fashion Doll Review's next staff writer. I'm especially excited about his passion for fashion and all things French, as well his amazing cooking and baking skills (I met him at a local doll club meet).

Be sure to check out his About page, where you can read about his doll collecting history and see photos of his current favorite dolls. Also, give him a nice warm welcome!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Another quick photo of a few of my lovely girls. I have so many projects to juggle right now, with IFDC coming up, a fantastic trade at last weekend's doll meet, and the kids' school year coming to a close. I'm up to my ears in laundry, and I need to just calm down a little bit.

I will soon have some exciting news to announce regarding the website overhaul, I think--the work in progress is actually in progress!--and I hope to have some exciting news in a week! Hooray!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Louie wandered into our yard, lives and hearts just two years ago. After convincing a hesitant husband we just had to keep him, he fell right in with our four kids, and he became my constant companion.

An unusually social cat, he would answer the door, greet guests, and crawl on their chests for attention. He would talk to me most of the day (before he grew ill) in his strange little quacking meow. He loved the kids, but mostly he love adults.

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